The Plant Man column
for publication week of 09/28/03 - 10/04/03
(763 words)
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The Plant Man
by Steve Jones
www.landsteward.org


Red-hot Fall colors you can plant now


Fall colors. Depending on where you live and when you get to read this
column, you should be anticipating the arrival of one of Nature's most
spectacular times of the year: the turning of the leaves from green to
yellow, gold, pink and deep crimson. It's time for the onset of Fall colors.

Yes, it's a great time to take a drive and marvel at the brilliant colors,
bearing in mind that the leaves ‘turn' a week or so earlier at higher
elevations.

But you can create your own Fall color show by planting trees and shrubs now
that will light up your landscape in years to come. Yes, it's an investment
in your future, but some of the varietals I have in mind can be quite fast
growing, so you won't have quite so long to wait!

Here's my list of five selections that will bring a blazing palette of color
to your landscape:

Red Maple.
Let's start with the most obvious. Even if you know nothing about the
outdoors and you see a tree in the next few weeks that seems to be ablaze
with bright red colors, there's a good chance that you're looking at some
kind of maple.

There are several varietals of Red Maple, and frankly you can't go far wrong
with any of them. Take these for example:

"Red Sunset" will reach a height of around 45 feet and has dark green glossy
leaves that will turn to brilliant orange-red or red in the Fall.

"Autumn Flame" has a dense rounded shape with a mature height of about 35
feet and medium green foliage that turns to bright red.

"Montgomery Red Select" tends more toward the yellowish orange to red in the
Fall, with a maximum height of about 40 feet.

"Autumn Blaze" might be your best choice as it's the fastest-growing and the
hardiest of the five varietals here. It's often the first one to begin
changing color, too, creating long-lasting orange-red Fall foliage.

Flowering Pear.
This suggestion might surprise you because we often think of flowering pear
trees more as harbingers of Spring than as providers of Fall colors.
However, in addition to providing a beautiful bouquet and delightful
blossoms in Spring, they can be very attractive in the Fall, too.

For example, the Bradford Pear (Pyrus calleryanna Bradford) has foliage that
will turn mahogany-red in early Fall, and then change again to bright
orange-red later in the season. The Bradford grows quite rapidly and is
tolerant of pollution found in most urban settings.

Another fine choice would be the Aristocrat Pear (Pyrus calleryanna
Aristocrat) aptly named because its glossy green foliage turns to a deep,
regal red in the Autumn. An added bonus: the Aristocrat is pest-resistant,
tolerates drought, poor drainage and most kinds of soil.

Burning Bush.
Fall colors can come from shrubs as well as trees. Here's a good example!
Also known as Dwarf Winged Euonymus (Euonymus alatus compacta) Burning Bush
is very pleasant to look at all year long. In the Fall, the dark green
leaves gradually turn to an eye-blistering bright red! An added advantage:
Burning Bush needs practically no pruning in my opinion, and that's another
good reason to add it to your list.

Green Ash.
Okay... back to the big boys! If you have a fairly large area or you're
looking for a tall and attractive tree, take a look at the Green Ash
(Fraxinus pennsyulvanica). This one grows quite fast and is fairly tall (50
feet to 75 feet at maturity) making it popular with landscapers designing
parks, golf courses and streetscapes. Although not quite as magnificent as
the Red Maple, you'll still enjoy some fine Fall colors with a Green Ash.

Dogwood.
Probably Dogwood is nobody's first choice as an example of a colorful Fall
tree. I agree. But don't pass this over entirely, particularly as part of a
landscape involving other Fall colors. I suggest you look at a Dogwood known
as Appalachian Spring, a varietal that is resistant to anthracnose that can
be deadly to Dogwoods.

Plant some (or all) of these beauties now and you'll be investing in a
breathtaking display of Fall colors for many years to come! As always,
contact me any time if you need some more personal advice.

The Plant Man is here to help. Send your questions about trees, shrubs and
landscaping to and for resources and additional
information, including archived columns, visit www.landsteward.org where you
can also subscribe to Steve's free e-mailed newsletter.